Students at St Francis de Sales Woolooware are on the path to triumphant sporting success, with the school making it through to the national NFL Flag Football championships on the Gold Coast.
However, getting to this point took more than good luck; the talent of the students shone through, allowing them to win the State Championships and progress forward.
Flag Football is a modified version of American Football (NFL) that can be played in a five-a-side structure.
According to the NFL Flag website, “Players invade each other’s space to score touchdowns and make conversions. Unlike American Football, kicking, tackling and blocking is not permitted.” Instead, players wear tags as a non-contact modification.
At the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, fans will get their first taste of flag football, a version of American football. The sport was added to the program for the Olympic Games and the NFL are doing their best to promote the sport worldwide.
The game emphasises resilience, responsibility and maintaining strong physical and emotional wellbeing. Another key pillar of the sport, which has been emphasised by the St Francis students, is the importance of teamwork and camaraderie.
Mark Lennon, the sports coordinator at the primary school has called the team’s effort “an amazing achievement.”
“We are all looking forward to, as a school community, the ten St Francis de Sales students representing our school at the National Championships on the Gold Coast in November.”
Lennon notes that despite other teams in the state championships having more advanced players who have played for longer, the St Francis students made their dreams a reality and worked hard to win.
“On the day we came up against some very good teams, some that had been playing flag football for a couple of years. Our school only began playing Flag Football at the beginning of Term 3.”
Lennon emphasises this point, highlighting the importance of a strong team leader who will motivate and encourage teammates.
“On the day we were privileged to be led by our quarterback and captain on the day Kai who showed tremendous leadership, sportsmanship and game sense for our team. Kai who previously lived in America has previous experience of playing NFL Flag and was a well-deserved MVP for the tournament on the day,” he said.
“The whole school community is extremely proud of this achievement. Being a small school, it is an amazing achievement.”
The Australian national championships will take place in early November, with St Francis students working tirelessly to prepare to play with vigour and strength.
The winning team of the National Championships receives an all-expenses paid trip for 10 competing students and two teachers to the US to compete for Team Australia in the 2025 NFL Flag Championships at Pro Bowl Games.